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Brewing at home – what brewing method should I use?

There are countless ways to brew the coffee you love at home. Each brewing method will bring out different qualities and nuances of a respective bean. We've listed a few of the methods that we use here at Cartel, along with specific recipes below.

Manual brew pour over coffee allows for more control over variables while offering an “experimental” experience. This method takes more attention and time, in addition to more precise equipment.

What you’ll need

Scale

Brew Device

Gooseneck kettle

Filters

Burr grinder

Timer

Brew guide

Filtered water off boil

Cold brew coffee is a fast, not as precise, brew method that produces a beverage that emphasizes body and sweetness over acidity and complexity. Cold brew has more room to be less attentive to variables because of the length of time that it is brewed over. Cold brew is a summer time staple in the desert. It can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge without losing too much.

What you’ll need

1.5 gallon bucket

Filtered Water

340g (12oz) coffee

Burr grinder/ coarsely ground coffee

Canvas bag with Tie

24 hours

Automatic drip systems have been looked down upon in specialty coffee. Until recent years, the manual brew was king. However, because of quality and consistency being a main focus on automatic drip systems, the coffee drinker is actually able to get a less involved, consistently brewed filter drip coffee. Especially if the individual does not want to devote larger amounts of time being meticulous with a manual brew only to have inconsistencies.

Automatic Drip Systems — most reliable and consistent

Technivorm Moccamaster

Bonavita Coffee Maker

Filters

Dialing in!

Trial and Error for an automatic drip system can be wasteful and difficult because of the quantity and lack of precision of some automatic brewers.

Let’ s see what the SCAA has to say:

Choose a brewing method and ask your local barista about it! If you’re not interested in learning the intricacies of a manual brewing devices, there is a growing selection of SCAA Certified Home Brewers that you can use to achieve the proper brew strength of your coffee.

Use enough coffee! The SCAA Golden Cup Ratio is 55 grams of coffee per liter of water, or 9–11 grams of coffee for every (6 ounce) cup they are brewing.

Adjust the coffee grind depending on how you are going to brew it. For example, for a French press you’ll want a coarser grind than for a paper-filter method. Ask your barista to give you a sample grind that you can use as a reference for grinding your coffee at home. Try to avoid pre-grinding your coffee to ensure peak freshness.

Filter your water so that it doesn’t give the coffee an off-taste (like chlorine), or use bottled water to brew your coffee.

The hot water should be in contact with the coffee for between 4-6 minutes, depending on the brewing method (doesn’t apply to single-cup preparation situations).

The temperature of the brewing water should be between 195°-205°F (hot, but not too hot) when in contact with the coffee grounds.

The coffee grounds should be filtered out of the prepared coffee beverage. Select the correct filter for your brewing devices to ensure proper functionality of your selected device.